Title: Hyenas depicted in human art through the ages
1Hyenas depicted in human art through the ages
2Cave painting from southern France
(Chauvet-pont-darc) 35,000 years ago
3Drawings from 12th Century Latin bestiaries
portraying hyenas scavenging human corpses
4The hyena The hyena should not be eaten because
it is dirty and has two natures, male and female.
Both sexual organs are clearly shown. It dwells
in the tombs of the dead and devours human
bodies. Its spine is rigid and it must move its
whole body in order to turn. (From the collection
at the University of Aberdeen)
5Histoire Naturelle - Le Lion et L'Hyaene Antonio
Baratti - 18th Century
6Natural history plate from Robert Merry's Museum
(1841)
7Hyena gargoyle
8Hyenas depicted by Disney artists in The Lion King
Although Whoopie Goldberg gave us a wonderful
hyena voice, the hyenas were made out to be
villains in this film. Even some of their names
are insulting. For example, Shenzi means
slovenly in Swahili.
9Mask from burkina faso made by
This very old mask was used to provide for the
fertility, health and prosperity of its owner
and community. It dances to drive evil forces
away, and participates in funerals and
initiations ceremonies.
10William R. Corliss (comp.), Biological Anomalies
Mammals I, Glen Arm, MD Sourcebook Project,
1995, p. 17.
Aardwolf mimics striped Hyena (bottom)